Idaho Republicans have concluded months of political infighting over who should control the party and have elected Steve Yates to be the new leader of the state's GOP.

Yates moved to Idaho from Maryland three years ago. He was elected by secret ballot to be Idaho's next Republican Party chairman.

Credit Melissa Davlin / Idaho Public Television

The state's central committee, which serves as the party's governing body, met Saturday in Boise to elect new party officers. The party has been without leadership ever since the state's chaotic GOP convention adjourned without electing any officers or passing any new platforms.

Listen

Listening...

/

1:28

Click play to hear the radio version of this story.

Yates is an Idaho Falls businessman and former aide to former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. Yates moved to Idaho from Maryland three years ago.

Yates was voted in by a secret ballot. He ran against Mike Duff of Blackfoot and Doug Pickett of Oakley.

Yates says he knows he’s taking over the party at a volatile time, and thinks it may be a good thing he’s new to the state.

"I have not been in Idaho long enough to have enemies," he says. "So, we will learn quickly what kind of person I am and how I try and deal with people."

The leader of Idaho's Republican Party has filed a lawsuit against two members of his own party who called an Aug. 2 meeting of the GOP Central Committee after the group left its state convention without voting on a platform or new leaders.

Idaho's GOP congressional leaders say state party leaders should meet Aug. 2 to determine who's in charge and achieve unity.

GOP Sen. Jim Risch and Rep. Mike Simpson issued a joint statement Tuesday saying that they that agree with Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter that members should respect the date members have chosen to scrutinize their party leaders' qualifications.

Their announcement comes after weeks of division between far-right conservatives and establishment Republicans fighting over when the state central committee should meet this summer.